The Portland Trail Blazers were recently swept in the Western Conference quarterfinals by the Golden State Warriors. While it's never easy to accept that a season is over, each end to a season presents the opportunity for a fresh start in the coming year.
As the Blazers unwind and begin to refocus on the 2017-18 NBA season, their front office has made a small change to help the team start off with a clean slate.
Introducing, the updated Trail Blazers logo:
Welp, the cat's outta the bag...
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) May 8, 2017
We've got a fresh look for 2017 and beyond.
Details » https://t.co/sW4wIuiNBD pic.twitter.com/10WWjejA8e
For some, the logo might not look much different. But true Blazermaniacs will notice the update while also appreciating that the new design doesn't stray too far from the team's traditional look.
Have you ever wondered what the Trail Blazers' logo is exactly?
The history is pretty interesting. When the Blazers began as an expansion team in 1970, the new team's executive vice president held an open contest for fans to submit ideas for a name. The lucky winner was Blake Byrne, who submitted the name "Trail Blazers" along with 172 other people. His name was drawn at random.
From there, the logo -- which is a pinwheel -- was created. The pinwheel has five lines on either side of its center, which are meant to represent five offenders and five defenders coming together to play basketball; the lines are curved to represent the fast-pace movement that defines the sport.
Frank Glickman, a former graphic designer from Boston, is the man behind the design. Glickman is the cousin of Harry Glickman, who was the Blazers' first general manager.
As they look ahead to a new season, the Trail Blazers will be uniformed in an updated look that will remind them to always keep moving forward but to never forget where you came from.
--Meaghan Latella